What are some of the other career choices for CG artists other than VFX/Games?

I was wondering this lately. I know there are opportunities in medical visualization, product design, industrial previz, etc but I have no idea where to start looking for those kind of jobs. I would like to expand my skill set and not be holed into just animation for games/film.

So do we have any cgtalkers here working in those industries and can you give some pointers on how to break into that industry?

Hello,
Although I am not a CG artist, I am musician looking to expand my work within new media and I would say there is a lot of overlap in both fields; because where there is movement, there is sound! here are some possibilities:

I had a couple of friends who left the film and games world to work in defense. Apparently defense companies like to have Hollywood quality demo videos to show what their next high tech weapon is capable of! I hear they pay better too.

Originally Posted by SheepFactory:I was wondering this lately. I know there are opportunities in medical visualization, product design, industrial previz, etc but I have no idea where to start looking for those kind of jobs. I would like to expand my skill set and not be holed into just animation for games/film.

So do we have any cgtalkers here working in those industries and can you give some pointers on how to break into that industry?

I am currently teaching myself solid works for use in my new company that's work in progress. I have noticed there is quite a demand for skilled solid works drafters

Forensic animation has gotten pretty big. If you don't have a weak stomach then basically what it is is that a lawyer has an animator create a recreation of some kind of accident or crime where someone got injured or killed. I'm lead to understand it's good money, but one more time, you need a strong stomach.

And a very very good attention to detail, a lawyer can't risk using an animation to depict something and be construed as misrepresenting something.

Originally Posted by Dillster:I am guessing advertising is the big one. Almost every TV advert here has at least some CG. It just seems to be the norm now.

TV commercial work is very, very stressful. I did about four years in television VFX work, mostly in commercials, at the start of my career and I almost quit the industry because I burned out so badly. You never have enough time to get anything done to the standard you want, and you tend to work long hours.

It's a viable option yes, but only if you're really, really good at handling stress and overtime.

Originally Posted by teruchan:I had a couple of friends who left the film and games world to work in defense. Apparently defense companies like to have Hollywood quality demo videos to show what their next high tech weapon is capable of! I hear they pay better too.

To add to this, simulation is another field to look into. It typically utilizes all the same skills that a game artist would use. I worked for five years at a military sim company basically working on military video games and training software (oops, forgot they HATE to be called "games").

After that, I got into subsea ROV simulation, which is what I do now. Basically, our simulator trains potential ROV pilots without the risk of smashing a multi million dollar ROV into the seabed or something.

At both companies, I wore many hats, as from what I've learned, the software department at sim places isn't as big as other game companies. For example, I could be working on real-time models one week, and the next week be putting together a photo real render for a promo video. A lot of work, but it certainly isn't boring.

Originally Posted by teruchan:I had a couple of friends who left the film and games world to work in defense. Apparently defense companies like to have Hollywood quality demo videos to show what their next high tech weapon is capable of! I hear they pay better too.

That's very interesting.... What do they look for in that fields? Realistic rockets, lots of explosion sims?

There's an awful lot of corporate work out there and not just adverts and medical either, they need information delivered in a presentable format for trade shows, internal meetings and presentations, awards ceremonies, brand management etc. Then there's crime scene recreations for courts which I know a few people love to be into. Any amount of motion graphics work. Product design and visualization, architectural visualization, scientific visualization, academic training materials, print work, advertising, exhibition design, illustration, online video channels, stings, idents and bumsettlers, simulations, kiosk design, sculpture (3d printing and other processes), fine arts, artist in residence, stage and light shows/backdrops for bands and musical arrangements, public art displays, teaching... pretty much if you can think of any way to make use of CG and animation skills then someone somewhere is making money doing it.

Just pick a field and start asking people what their workflows are for that field (or check the job postings to see what's required). I think just knowing how to use Photoshop and After Effects well, Mograph etc will stand you in good stead if you're just looking to spread your wings perhaps into the freelance trade.

__________________The Third Party | Homepage | My Reel"You need to know what you're doing before you start, and to start because you need what you're doing."

Originally Posted by Panupat:That's very interesting.... What do they look for in that fields? Realistic rockets, lots of explosion sims?

Lots of those F500 companies do have small in house teams that do 3D art stuff. I know a lot of the HR departments at larger companies are keen an a BS or MS degree, and they wont even send your resume and reel onwards unless you've got a degree.

I don't have a degree, and I've never been able to get past the first HR filter after applying. All of my paid work has come from personal connections. If you want to do that type of work, its probably easier to go work for a small studio that does contract or agency work with defence companies.

There are lots of defence companies here in the Midwest, and small studios in Chicago, Indy, Cincy get lots of that type of work. Its everything from gun renders for Bushmaster and Colt, engine animations for Rolls Royce, US Army and Navy commercials, to those interactive training simulations the military uses.

I often wonder how is it that software development is so often overlooked as a career option. After having done that for 7 years, I can ell you it's a viable field for 3d artists (or developers, depending on your background). It is certainly nothing like the production world, and the work environment will vary from company to company, but it's another option nonetheless. Worth considering!

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